I click on my ^ button, the one nestled by the date time, in the lower left-hand corner of my screen. A wave of nausea comes over me. Look at them, all those stupid little distribution applets crowded together. Like little leeches whose sole purpose is to await the opening of my wallet. Every publisher has one now (the latest criminal? Bethesda’s horrible client). Most of these distribution apps are pathetic sniveling attempts to impersonate Steam. Why bother?

The answer is tied to diverting some of Valve’s profits back into their own pockets. Every game publisher now has invested in a distribution system to compete with Steam, how well that’s working out for them is unclear. Some like Uplay, integrate and play nice with Steam; as if to not piss off the Gabe giant. Others, like Electronic Arts’ Origin system, is more about controlling high price points on their popular titles well beyond the release dates; than bringing anything new to the table. Then off to the left, there’s the innocuous Windows 10 Store, just smug and content out of reach of all other applets interred in the pit to the right.

Is the Windows 10 Store and it’s games any better than Steam and its competitors? No, not by a long shot. However, peruse the games for sale and you can’t help notice the piles of negative reviews on triple A titles, especially Microsoft’s exclusive titles. These negative reviews seem to have one common theme “UWP (Universal Windows Platform) sux!!!1”. Does it? Or is this another example of abusing game review systems to get a singular point across?

There are some bad things about Windows 10 Store games that cannot be ignored. UWP purchased and apps are saved in a protected and encrypted area on your PC. One big DRM vault on your hard drive that is difficult to mess with. This prevents UWP from being copied and pirated, but it also prevents modding. In addition, there are numerous quirks with installing and updating games tied to it. The Windows 10 Store is also prone to numerous failures, which can take hours to troubleshoot. Simple updates to popular games can take anywhere from 24-48 hours to distribute properly to clients. Just get hit with your first Store cache mix-up, and you will understand.

Halo Wars 2 may not be a very deep RTS, but it features impressive effects, smooth gameplay, and stunning cinematics. It is also a Windows 10 Store exclusive.

However is it really that bad? Well no, it’s not that bad either. Since its release, there have been a number of updates to the OS that have brought fixes and improvements to the Store. Some of those aches (but not all) have been alleviated, including the handy command line function WSReset.exe. Once installed, all of the games play smooth as silk. No crashes and good performance with every single game in the store. Again, it’s baffling to read hundreds of reviews claiming that this or that game “refuses to run” and “crashes to the point it’s unplayable” with a final “Windows 10 store games are just awful”. With such differential experiences, I decided to dig a little deeper into those claims.

Not only do we publish numerous reviews for games, here at GWTW we spend a great deal of time reading them. Several Steam games will also receive a heap of angry attention; with one of the bigger antagonizing issues being a title that is using Denuvo DRM encryption. Steam games themselves have a DRM that verify ownership of that title (but no one ever complains about Steam’s DRM). The list of angry gamers claiming Denuvo causes crashes or makes the game unplayable is rather long. How valid are those claims? Our GWTW utilizes approximately fourteen gaming PCs and laptops, with a game library on Steam in the thousands. Every Steam game we own works and plays without issue – Denuvo DRM or not. Those that do crash are patched up within days in most cases. The same can be said for the Windows UWP games. They just work. Thus the claims of horrible game performance and crashes seems dubious.

Quantum Break suffers odd performance issues in both UWP and Steam. For the most part however, it’s an ambitious story driven adventure.

Microsoft seems most afraid of game piracy on their own OS than any other publisher. However, their thoughts on the matter have changed with UWP, because since Windows 10’s release they have been intent on sharing first-party exclusive games previously limited to the Xbox console with PC gamers. Even their highly touted IPs such as Halo and Forza are sold in the Windows 10 Store, and as a bonus they are Play Anywhere titles (meaning you buy the game once and play it on either Xbox or PC). Those gamers out there (like me) that have consoles and computers and a tribe of kids that play on both do appreciate the licensing flexibility.

For casual gaming, full Xbox Live integration is an intuitive service, and it has blended its way into Windows 10 Store games. Achievements are linked across platforms. Xbox Live communication also works seamlessly between PC and console players. As well as, for Play Anywhere titles, game saves are on Microsoft’s cloud servers, and transfer with ease between platforms.

Gears of War 4 has it all, Play Anywhere, Co-Op, Multiplayer, and Xbox Live integration. Microsoft should focus itself on releasing more titles of this caliber.

As I look at Windows Store games as a whole it’s hard to blame Microsoft for everything its own game reviewers rage against. For example, not every game on Steam supports modding. Popular games on other platforms like Overwatch, do not support modding in any way. It is a downside that no game on UWP can be modded, but that would be something Microsoft should consider forcing it’s first party developers to work on – a folder or section for custom maps or XML editing. It’s also hard to blame them for trying to control piracy. CD Project RED is a development company that had its own battles against piracy. While at first they were for strict DRM, they dropped that approach and GoG distribution is an open system. Their strategy changed to a “carrot, not stick” idea (Source: PC Gamer), while their Witcher series was highly successful at over 20 million total unit sales, CD Projekt Red still estimates 2-3 times as many copies were pirated. Microsoft’s UWP is a strict system, but if it helps move over some of their more desirable titles away from exclusive-to-consoles and into PC gamers’ hands, I’m all for it.

Windows 10 Store games will never overtake Steam’s grip on the PC gaming market. It doesn’t have to. There are several things Microsoft could do however to vamp up its platform, making it more appealing and integral to every gamer’s arsenal. Microsoft is big enough and competitive enough to force all of its third-party partners to offer Play Anywhere Windows 10 versions of any game sold on Xbox One consoles (Madden on PC anyone?). While titles like Halo Wars 2, Gears of War, and Forza are DirectX 12 exclusive, no one has really pushed the API anywhere close to its documented potential. Isn’t this something Microsoft Game Studios should be pioneering? There are still millions of PC gamers that are not on board with Windows 10, DirectX 12, and its benefits – and developers know that building a DX12 from the ground up is just not in their best interest at this point. So why not flagship that project? Why not design a game for Windows 10 PCs in mind, then port down to Xbox One X consoles? With so many gamer enthusiasts looking to push VR and 4k gaming, it would appear to be a prime time to drop a title or two with dazzling visuals and capitalize.

The question is not, will there be another Forza, but will there ever be a Microsoft Games Division conference without Forza.

Microsoft could also make a push to put all their older classics onto the Windows 10 Store as well. Would their backward compatibility work translate from Xbox One to PC? There doesn’t seem to be a reason to believe it wouldn’t. This would bring in nostalgic love from gamers, and maybe new fans who never played some of the previous 360 exclusives. There is also the bigger equalizer for gamers: budget. While Windows 10 Store is not as stingy as Origin has been, it is also not the rampant discount spree that Steam has proven to be.

Final Verdict: Is the Windows 10 Store bad? The Store itself needs work, the games it houses are not much of an issue. There is much room for improvement, and if Steam integration could happen on any level it would be a monumental bridge between claiming you support PC gaming and actually supporting PC gaming. Microsoft Game division executives need to jump out of their suites in Seattle and spend some time with real gamers. There are plenty of things they are doing that suggest “they get it” (Play Anywhere) and so many things that still suggest they are clueless (like, how come the Windows 10 Minecraft version is still the garbage mobile device equivalent?). It is clear, that it is not the horrible cesspool described by some of its own reviewers. If it were ever to become an integral part of every gamer’s library depends on Microsoft’s eagerness to appease the ever expanding PC gaming market. Also, how flexible Microsoft will be with the columns that already support that complex PC marketplace.

]]>Paragon’s Then and Now … A Tale Of MOBA Anorexiahttp://gonewiththewin.com/paragons-then-and-now-a-tale-of-moba-anorexia/
http://gonewiththewin.com/paragons-then-and-now-a-tale-of-moba-anorexia/#commentsFri, 22 Sep 2017 19:01:21 +0000http://gonewiththewin.com/?p=4450Are updates always a good thing?

MOBAs? Got to love them. I play MOBAs daily, along with millions of other gamers worldwide. One MOBA that appeared on my radar over a year ago was Epic Game’s Paragon. At first glance, I thought Epic was demonstrating Unreal 4 Engine’s potential for building MOBA games; not an actual deep game. However, the alpha was far from a plain vanilla experience. It was a captivating MOBA, with hero depth and a variety of strategic options that paired with its superb graphics and futuristic art direction. Over the course of 12 months, a disheartening thing has taken place. instead of starting out slim and fattening up on depth, it’s trimming down on its chunky strategic features and becoming just another skin and bones MOBA.

Is this a good thing?

Skinny is better, right?

Maybe for swimsuits, but gamers do not necessarily flock towards the path of least resistance with their MOBAs. For confirmation, just check the top two most popular MOBAs right now: DOTA 2 and League Legends. Both are known for requiring intricate knowledge of the over 100 heroes to choose from. Add to that efficient navigation of their asymmetrical map designs, and in DOTA 2‘s case a complex and multifaceted item tree expertise is required. These top MOBAs don’t scale back their efforts to make it easier for anyone. Is it hurting their active player numbers that there are other “easy to play” MOBAs out there? No, not in the slightest. First, let’s take a look at what Paragon was upon release, during the alpha and early beta, it will be clearer what the recent updates have taken away.

Paragon is a MOBA that isn’t afraid of PS4 and PC crossplay.

Paragon’s Genesis

It’s true that Paragon borrows ideas from other MOBAs; such as waves of minions, three lanes, and other tropes seen in the more popular MOBAs. SMITE draws the most comparisons, both in Paragon’s heroes as well as its third-person action perspective. SMITE, was already a fully released MOBA when Paragon arrived, having already decided to slim its features down (read: dumbed itself down). It only took minutes to understand that the fundamental mechanics in Paragon were far more complex while slower paced than its third-person cousin. It was a breath of fresh air to once again see an action-oriented MOBA with substantial tactical options emerge.

Eschewing traditional item building for a layered card deck was one of the key differences in Paragon. Players acquired decks of cards over time using earned reputation points. Each card represents an active ability (play active cards to deploy a sentry or boost speed for 20 seconds) or a passive enhancement. Heroes dealt damage in two ways, basic attack damage (left mouse click attacks) and ability damage (all other damage options). In turn, you could mitigate incoming damage by boosting your basic armor, or ability armor. Further still, you could enhance your max health points, mana pool, and subsequent auto-regeneration abilities of your heroes.

Original Paragon card building system. Note the cards with 3 slots, for customized upgrades.

Paragon was limited in the number of decks you could have at the ready (deck slots could be expanded with reputation, but that required winning some matches). This meant players would need to become proficient in 2-3 heroes before venturing on to another deck. In fact, you could build 2-3 decks for one hero, because the card system was that robust. It was more than just reading what a card enhanced and adding to your deck. For example, “Boosts Cooldown Time by 10%, +10 Ability Power, +100 Mana” could be the boost given by a card, which was nice on its own, but with upgrade cards that ability can be shaped. Within each card, there were groups of upgrades available to it. Perhaps you needed more basic damage? More health regen? Or maybe just boost your overall ability powers by 40-50 points? Just add it.

Such freedom made Paragon an instant draw. I would spend more time planning and building my decks than in matches. I didn’t always strike gold with my strategies, but when I did the satisfaction was worth the effort. Taking a hero that is known for its support qualities, and turning it into an aggressive jungler — or a caster and making them a heavy defender type was fun. The highlight would be watching enemy teams having no answer for my crazy stunts. Comments like “that was the craziest Gadget play I have ever seen!” would fuel my experimentation. In turn watching some of the other builds in effect from other players tearing it up would give me more ideas.

Morigesh. Age 920. Likes: Long walks on the beach, twerking on alligators, and stabbing lover’s mothers in the back with snake dagger. Peeves: Smiling.

Aside from the card building, Paragon is simply put: the best looking MOBA out there. Its visual splendor is obvious in every aspect. Further, the game incorporates something not seen in other MOBAs with its vertical pathways. Jumping over chasms, or hiding under them, with battles flowing from the air to the ground and back again in seconds. It’s a gankers paradise. Paragon’s gaming goodness is not limited to PC players either, as PS4 crossplay has been working without issue since its beta release.

Was Paragon perfect during its early Alpha stages? No, of course not. Technical issues mired matches at times. One of its principle drawbacks was its pacing while offering long progression, matches could drag into the 60 to 90-minute mark on average. That’s far too long of a time commitment for most casual MOBA players. Second, it would take a half dozen cards and upgrades before you would see more dramatic changes in your hero, and that usually took half an hour of play. There was only (and still is) one game mode and map. No e-sports or ranked matches competitive modes. Chat options were simplistic because of console players. The grind involved with unlocking more cards and mastering heroes were also daunting and disheartening at times. Still, Paragon was unique, and that sold a considerable group of players on the new MOBA.

Introduction

Four online team based shooters, each vying for player attention have been in the works over the last two years. Development houses Blizzard, Gearbox, Hi-Rez, and Motiga have been hoping to add their own defining stamp on the FPS/MOBA-lite genre. They are each distinct and different, although you might not know it by comparing screenshots. They have all adopted similar cartoon looks, despite trying to stand out from each other. Four shooters, all wearing the same prom dress. Faux pas aside, each dame is dancing to its own tune. Are you a slow dancer, or a busting buttons doing the YMCA wearing a red afro? Personal style preferences will have a lot to do with which shooter you get liquored up and take home to meet mom.

The vintage art look, that’s shared with these titles, is probably inspired by the grandfather of team based cartoon-y FPS games. Back in 2007, Team Fortress 2 released with its iconic Norman Rockwell inspired look. Make no mistake, TF2 is still stiff competition for these new titles. 1.8 million gamers played TF2 in just the last couple of weeks. A nice chunk of gamer attention anyone would love to have sway.

It’s okay Mr. Spy no one is forgetting the granddaddy of them all.

Despite their visual similarities, and the first person perspective, these new titles differ in game design philosophies. One title comes with a heavier emphasis on style and visual savvy. Another brings CCG deck building for augmenting heroes. Another offers a tight knit player community, game guides, and eases players into its online experience. While still another focuses on smooth matchmaking and stylistic frills over depth.

“Okay, so like, which one is da best Juan dood?”

Not everyone has infinite time and cash reserves to invest into all four games. It is also rare to find someone willing to delve into four similar genre titles at the same time. Therefore, asking which one is “the best” is only natural. But figuring out which one is more to your liking, will depend in most cases which aspect you tend to lean towards as a player.

With that in mind, rating each on three primary categories is a solid approach. Presentation, which encompasses visual design, audio work, and control mechanics. Strategy, which is based on team mechanics and gameplay complexity. Finally Online Rating, which takes into account: fluidity with getting into matches, performance during matches, the overall player community, and developer communication with fans.

It is more probably that by rating each aspect separately we’d have a better indication of which cartoon-y/MOBA-y shooter flavor is more to your liking. Keep in mind that while Battleborn is released (and Overwatch is due to release May 24th), Gigantic and Paladins are still in Beta cycles and thus may see changes in the coming months. In fact there have been notable changes with each title from early Alpha stages to closed Beta. Regardless of upcoming polish, I’m confident there’s enough here to assemble a clear view of each. Currently these are how these titles rank on my “best of” list (from least favorite to most favorite):

This week Rise of the Tomb Raider released a DirectX 12 API update. It joins Hitman, Ashes of the Singularity, and Descent Underground as DX12 enabled games. With it’s release gamers’ reactions to performance has been varied. It has become a hot topic item for enthusiasts in discussion forums. Does it signify the leap in performance on existing hardware as Microsoft claimed? Well yes, and no, with such varied PC gamer hardware configurations the results at the moment, might not be what some expected. My own experiences taught me to temper expectations. Remember, DX12 API is about reducing driver overhead and allowing CPU usage to expand. You can reduce driver overhead by using DX12 calls, but to maximize CPU/GPU usage game engines need to be written to do so.

One thing to note is single GPU users should see an immediate boost in performance regardless of settings. If you are like me, you set quality settings to remain on average as close to 60fps as possible. In most cases when Direct X 12 is enabled titles tend to show an increase in FPS with existing settings. When using DX12 certain quality settings can be increased, and still maintain desired 60 fps averages, so that’s a benefit. Descent Underground is an Unreal 4 based game in Early Access. Unreal 4 does not by default utilize SLI/Crossfire implementations. Initial tests shows a small 5 FPS performance boost using DirectX 12. Recent builds have altered these findings at the moment. This could be various lighting and effect implementations being worked into the game. For example explosions and gunfire can tank FPS on DX11 down to 30-32 FPS, where DX12 hovers closer to 45-50FPS regardless of onscreen changes. Constant build changes and content additions make it difficult to gauge performance improvements, nevertheless it is clear DX12 can improve Descent’s advanced lighting effects to some degree.

Either API looks identical in Descent Underground, although DX12 appears to render changing light sources with more efficiency.

Single GPU configurations should notice improvements in games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and Hitman (although Hitman’s DX12 implementation is currently raw and prone to problems). Running at resolutions of 2560×1600 on either game with all options maxed, except AF set to x4, and Texture Quality to High, single GTX 970 options run poorly. Averaging 30-32 frames per second with drops down to 20 at this setting. In Rise of the Tomb Raider, this will increase to around 40FPS averages with lows of 33-35FPS by switching to the newer API.

Scenes like this, with hundreds of NPCs are virtually unplayable with DX11

Hitman on DirectX 12, makes the game not only playable, but impressive to look at. A flipbook animation looks more impressive than the DirectX 11 API with ultra level detail (textures still on High and AF x4) on my system. There are constant loading hitches. In crowded areas performance plummets to 20FPS. Meanwhile using DirectX 12, the game maintains a fluid 45-55FPS. This framerate for some purists may not be ideal, but I found the game at these settings to be gorgeous and eye catching. I ran into severe issues switching between the two APIs to run benchmarks and playtesting. At one point I needed to remove my drivers using DDU, and reinstall to remove a DX11 corruption issues that arose with both Tomb Raider and Hitman.

This gorgeous game is pushing to use whatever hardware you have to it’s fullest

Rise of the Tomb Raider runs into a caveat for me. Unlike Descent and Hitman, this game will fully utilize SLI configurations. Neither Tomb Raider nor Descent Underground of the games discussed so far utilize one of DirectX12’s more creative features: asynchronous compute/shading. Worse yet, this higher efficiency API is not available to Nvidia owners. The result is DX11 with SLI outperforming DX12 Single GPU by a large margin with no image quality loss. These titles are updating DX11 rendering paths for DX12 ones and are offering performance gains, but are scratching the surface in terms of DirectX 12 benefits. However being that I am a Nvidia card owner at the moment, I am missing out on the performance gains, but can still use SLI for certain titles.

Ashes of the Singularity is designed from the ground up to utilize DirectX12’s features, including asynchronous compute/shading. I pushed settings beyond the default: glare on medium, no AA, point lights on high, textures and shows on medium. The results have been surprising and informative. Heavy batches on DX11 has an average framerate of 35.4, while 36.8 on DX12 with a single GPU and only 39.7 with dual GPUs. What benchmark charts do show however is that the GTX 970s is limiting potential CPU performance. CPU utilization floats between 50-80% during benchmark tests. As mentioned, asych-Compute/Shading is not enabled in Nvidia’s latest drivers (as per Anandtech). There’s no indication that Nvidia will have that ready when the full retail of Ashes is released. As has been my experience with SLI, I’ll have to wait to get the “full” experience on Nvidia’s development process, which is disappointing.

The most enjoyable part of games is playing them, and yet tinkering with settings to get them to look their best becomes an unavoidable side distraction for me. There are limits to the budget I will allow for gaming hardware. DirectX 12 comes with the promise of pushing those limits without changing existing hardware. Real world examples have to be tempered. This is a new API, and it’s efficiency is in its infancy. Vulkan API is another contender in the performance game, but only The Talos Principle has implemented a beta edition to test. It is clear that low overhead APIs will be the mainstay, however the next gaming “leap” maybe a ways off. Asynchronous GPU load balancing holds promise, and may even serve a reason to mix and match graphics cards into each PC configuration for maximum gains.

Further, will Nvidia implement an ACE implementation in their drivers that benefit current 700-900 series card owners? Is their Pascal chipset doomed to remain in ACE limbo? There are some vocal users on Reddit stating that Nvidia’s hardware architecture prevents efficient asychrounous computer/shading. If that were to be the case, how will Nvidia maintain it’s advantage over the more efficient AMD GPUs? AMD APU/GPUs have been designed for low overhead APIs for some time now, starting with their own Mantle release years back. Could the future of DX12 gaming also represent a shift towards AMD?

Rushing out for at end Team Red card based on posted performance charts may not be wise either, Nvidia’s DX12 driver support needs work. In addition both card giants are expected to release new technologies in the coming months that improve DX12 efficiency. I am of the mind on waiting on next gen GPUs instead of fussing with SLI ever again. I would rather have a card capable of rendering all my games in 4k on the day of release, than waiting months for SLI support to catch up. Multi-GPU may yield benefits under DX12 for VR gaming since it’s requirements are 90FPS or more per eye, but that too is uncertain. Therefore, a “wait and see” approach over the course of this year seems to be the wiser option.

Source: Anandtech
]]>The Best PC Games of 2015http://gonewiththewin.com/best-pc-games-2015/
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 19:07:22 +0000http://gonewiththewin.com/?p=3487Standing in the doorway of 2016 it’s easy to spot a number of potentially great new technologies, new and promising genre defining games, and other gaming advances that this year could bring. While we wait in anticipation, lulls like these are best filled with a look back at what made the last year great.

The face of gaming has changed, there have been years where the best games around were always a list of AAA high budget titles. For years now, thanks to popular distribution platforms, and the bevy of bundles and inexpensive games available on the platform – indie games continue to filter in as some of the most creative and entertaining titles of the year. Also crowd funded games ensure that gamers are getting the games they really want to play, not what a publishing house believes we should play. This has revived old genres and game styles for the better.

GoneWithTheWin began in 2015, so it will always be a special year for us. We’ve learned a lot in the last few months, and know we have so much more to learn and adapt to. We’ve made new friends in the industry. Had a chance to play many games, and some stood out so brilliantly we simply had to list them all for you. These games are in no particular order, but comprise a listing of the absolute best 2015 had to offer on PC. These games are ones we have not let go of, and return to often to either replay or explore missed areas. If you are looking for something new to try out, we hope this article will help. So without further ado, we present the best gaming experiences on PC for 2015:

DARKEST DUNGEON

Leo’s take:

Beware weary travelers and adventurers, darkness is nigh! Ancestral tombs hold countless treasures and important heirlooms, but stay your hand – keep it planted on the hilt of your sword. Madness, despair, doom, cruelty, desolation and death are the prize of those that venture too far. Can anyone play Darkest Dungeon, without becoming hopelessly entwined in the the multiple aspects of this game? There can be no bravery… without madness. Should they possibly exist, I’d imagine they are disfigured mobile-exclusive gamers or other such vulgarity.

The game is drenched in a bold, Gothic motif. At times I wonder if Vincent Price was resurrected to lend his voice as narrator, regardless of whomever lent his voice, it is sublime and perfectly suited for the role. Can’t get enough of the narration, it’s a huge favorite of mine in this, or any game. Its distinct aesthetics set the stage, set the tone and without a manual or tutorial you will already know what is to come next. The cues are everywhere. You are delving into a foreboding and unforgiving world.

Darkest Dungeon’s core game mechanics are solid and cruelly dangles options like twisted eyeless harlequin marionettes. Hercules himself couldn’t punch a hole in these unforgiving rogue genre concepts. There’s a duality to the game that will keep you nervously sweating in your chair like a candle. There are many options in your estate to upgrade and invest in. The timing of which should come first is not even hinted at, though if you over invested in one feature you won’t understand why it was folly until your team is dying, but they need to head back. Recruiting adventurers and balancing your teams takes careful thought, not just in their class and abilities but also in their actual positions as your chosen four enter these dungeons. What supplies do you bring to ensure their survival? It’s so hard to know, and if you need to turn a profit, this team of heroes might have just become expendable – hope you weren’t attached.

Spending fifty hours in Darkest Dungeon means you are still a rookie in this robust multifaceted game. Characters have front line skills and long range ones, some specialize in one or the other. Others still have amazing healing and support abilities but only if they are in the back of the line. This could mean losing a devastating attack in exchange for helping poor Wilbur the Plague Doctor from succumbing to his injuries. Monsters and bandits are not your only concern, the greatest enemy of all is stress. Once inside the dungeons, injuries from traps or enemies will begin playing with the minds of your crew. You will watch hopelessly as lack of light, or dismaying strike from a giant, sends stress levels flaring. Will they become infused with courage, or succumb to their fears? It was gut wrenching, sitting there chewing my nails as my favorite highwayman gets pummeled by enemies… pulsating drums from the combat music, and the gongs as he holds onto “death’s door”. That sinking feeling of losing my guy, my buddy. The one who critical hit 18 fish fiends the last expedition, the one who single handedly saved countless missions, and the estate from bankruptcy is about to bite it. That’s just brilliant design. One of the most superb experiences I had all year. – Leo

Zach’s take:

Eldritch horrors, blood-mad proxies of the Elder Gods, an ancestral estate tainted with corruption, the only glint of hope shining off the rusted, dulled blades of a band of weary, compromised adventurers. Madness and long-lost treasure await in the fetid passageways and foul, blighted recesses of the Darkest Dungeon!

From the second the game starts, you are drawn into the best distillation of the core elements of Lovecraftian horror and excess to date. The narration, writing, soundtrack and art style are carefully intertwined to create a foreboding and palpable atmosphere that pulls you inexorably into an environment of despair and encroaching doom. The writing, art and sound in Darkest Dungeon are exemplary, and testimony that a carefully designed and lovingly crafted game does not have to max out a high-end video card to create a user experience that immerses you…or in this case, entombs you…fully into the designer’s world. Darkest Dungeon’s bleak, Victorian setting and flawed, damaged inhabitants draws inspiration from Lovecraft, Mike Mignola (Hellboy’s creator), and Warhammer’s Fantasy setting, among some notable examples, to create an original universe that boils over with madness, horror and the slimmest chance of redemption found this side of a Takeshi Kitano movie.

Darkest Dungeon compels you to delve deep, a theme that runs to the core of the excellent gameplay systems. Permadeath is an ever-present threat, with autosaves oblivating any sort of deus ex machina courtesy of a reloaded save or hard reset. Your characters WILL die, and as the game explicitly asks: what sacrifices will you make to keep your heroes alive? Darkest Dungeon creates the same sense of urgency, attachment and impending dread for characters found in the original X-Com. I’ve killed so many games and started over when a favorite character dies, not because there wasn’t a way to continue, but because I was too discouraged to press on without them.

The tactical combat is complex, perfectly paced and balanced between the focal points of overall group formation, individual positions, upgrades, ability choices, class choices and the fickle, arbitrary whims of RNG. The most compelling original mechanic is the stress system, which captures the sense of madness and fear your characters endure as they face the grim challenge of vanquishing the unspeakable horrors and labyrinthine passageways of your corrupted estate. Pyhrric victories are the norm, as a map is conquered, difficult battles overcome, your characters exiting the dank catacombs, alive but afflicted by various forms of madness, some more extreme, infectious and detrimental than others.

The RPG management segment of the game perfectly balances out the rigors and tension of combat, forcing you to decide who will find release from madness and fear, who will be relieved from negative personality quirks, who will get upgraded abilities and equipment, what new members will fill your party roster to replace those fallen in battle. Your ancestral village offers a number of structures that require careful management via upgrades, as do your characters, which are pulled from a spectrum of classes available to recruit. Who will join your party and what skills do you need? The veteran wiles of the Man at Arms, the ranged damage of the Arbalest, the reckless abandon of the Leper, the necrotic science of the Plague Doctor? Every choice you make, every upgrade you take, every character you heal means there was a character you had to forsake, an upgrade you desperately needed but couldn’t afford, a class you could not add into your roster. The wealth of options is directly countered by the paths you can’t take, and it creates a perfect tension that elevates Darkest Dungeon to one of the finest roguelikes ever made and my overall favorite game of 2015. – Zach

STASIS

Leo’s take:

My first look at STASIS (full review) and I thought for a moment, that this game had slipped out of 1998. It’s isometric view and graphical style, almost FMV movements overlaid on static photographic backgrounds is a dated approach. Ignore any apprehension, when I did I was in for quite a ride. From the start it asks “who are you without your family?”; then builds on that premise with meticulous pacing and climactic buildup. STASIS was clearly influenced by various science fiction horror works. Ridley’s impressive use of pacing and control in the original Alien, the insane “what the hell just happened” ending in Event Horizon, and other past games; the best of these elements are grafted together into a wholly terrifying story that felt new and fresh when completed.

Here’s how you know if a game has great writing, when you can’t help yourself but reflect on what just happened. In truth weeks after reviewing the game I found myself in web forums, reading comments and discussing in detail story aspects with other players. When you are left lingering about what you had seen and felt, when there is actually something meaningful to discuss when it is over then you transcended simple block pushing and nazi shooting to something much more laudable: art.

Being a father myself, I found the central character John Maracheck instantly relatable. With the game’s central theme resonating with my own values, and towards those I hold dearest. As he progressed into this nightmarish place, with each disturbing new element of what happened aboard this derelict space station, my heart sank with his. In between bleak clues, were intermixed well thought out and provoking puzzles. A few jump scares, but its more about keeping you on edge; the expectation of something horrific is just as bad as actually seeing it. The devil is in the details they say, so the methodical pacing, the low humming ventilation, shifting shadows, the occasional groaning of machinery (or was it a person?) builds up expectation. From there the story plummets over the edge, sliding down into a bleak chasm. It’s frantic final moments flying by at dizzying speeds, it will undoubtedly leave most gasping for air. The game drew out considerable emotions from me as I played, at one point my wife leaned over and asked me to close my mouth; but I just couldn’t. If you are looking for an experience in PC gaming, STASIS fits the bill in spades.

UNDERTALE

Echo’s Take:

Ever since its release back in September, Undertale has been an instant hit. As of now, 97% of 30,000 (and counting) user-submitted reviews are favorable, giving the game an Overly Positive rating on Steam. However, this almost-unheard of reception doesn’t answer why this gamer’s must-have has risen in popularity: only the player can find out themselves.

In Undertale, the player takes the place of the Fallen Child, a human child (whose gender and race are undetermined) who fell from the top of Mount Ebott. The fall is the only entrance to the Underground, where the world’s population of Monsters has been banished to. Unfortunately, there’s no way to leave except by breaking the seal. This is only accomplished by obtaining seven human souls, 6 of which are already possessed by the King of the Underground. After the fall, the player meets Toriel, a kind-hearted, motherly Monster, who offers to give the child a home. What happens next is solely up to the player’s decisions.

The playstyle is similar to that of Touhou Project’s: a sort of bullet hell, though given the option to “Spare” and “Act”. Acting is needed to Spare most enemies, through doing simple actions such as hugging or petting, usually accompanied by cute dialog. However, acting in some cases will cause the enemy to get angry, or in some cases, transform into something completely different (i.e. Moldsmal into Moldbygg). Sparing is exactly what it sounds like: ending the battle through mercy. However, Sparing won’t give you any EXP, which is the only way to increase levels and survive longer.

First things first: if you want to enjoy Undertale to its fullest, you’re going to need to invest plenty of time in it. See, a common trait amongst RPGs is giving players multiple endings and routes to play on. Usually, there aren’t a lot of these said ends; some of them have even been reduced to easter eggs (like Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc’s “bad ending”). But Undertale takes this concept and expands on it almost infinitely. Most of these playthroughs are quick and simple, though the most well-known ones can be painfully hard, time-consuming, or a mix of the two.

At the end of most runs, the player is rewarded with a phone call from a certain character (their name unlisted to avoid spoilers) telling them about what happened after they retreated to the surface (the goal of the game). Even neglecting one simple task can change the course of the rest of the route. If you were aiming at the affectionately nicknamed Genocide run, for example, and spared one single target, you’d have to start all over. Speaking of the Genocide run, if you attempt it before the Pacifist route, it’ll highjack the game and prevent you from correctly finishing it.

Another reason for players to love Undertale is the interactions. The characters are easy and simple to understand: not entirely complex, but they’re certainly realistic. Plus, characters breaking the fourth wall isn’t entirely uncommon. In fact, the game even goes so far as remembering your choices. At the beginning of each run, Toriel asks you which you prefer: cinnamon or butterscotch. Depending on which you choose, she’ll remember your choice when asking you in future runs.

Going back to where we started, the story line is superb. It’s complex to the point that players will need to datamine to put everything together. Let’s just say that a knowledge, however limited, of Webdings font is needed.

Finally, the music is another thing to love. Toby “Radiation” Fox, the game’s creator, is highly experienced with composing music. Working on the webcomic Homestuck has earned him fame and made him known among the internet. In fact, his alleged masterpiece “Megalovania”, introduced in his Earthbound hack (becoming widespread in Homestuck) has earned a place in Undertale. Even when working with simple sound fonts, Toby’s compositions can almost always be guaranteed a success.

But what’s not to like about Undertale? A large amount of players are nonplussed with the graphics, however, upon learning that the entire game was made by one guy (with some help from a character designer), many changed their mind. Some are dissatisfied by how short the game is (in their opinion), which most wouldn’t say is exactly true.

Undertale has been a success thus far, among all ages. Anyone can learn to enjoy it. From the storyline to the playstyle, every single bit of it is more of a reason to like it. If you haven’t played it, try it. You definitely won’t regret it. – Echo

Zach’s Take:

This is where I make an embarrassing dad disclosure: Echo’s my 13 year old daughter, as well as a GWTW specialist on certain games. I asked her to write the Undertale review because, while I do not disagree with her summation that Undertale is a game that can be enjoyed by every age, I think there is more to it when you consider its meteoric rise up the Steam charts and the very vocal fan base it has attracted, and I think most of its fan base is under 25.

I think Undertale represents one of those “changing-of-the-guard” moments in gaming; Undertale is a phenomenon where Echo’s generation has found a game truly their own. It’s themes of acceptance and alienation, the fierce possessiveness that various sub-fandoms have shown towards it (furries, Homestuck folks are two that come to mind), the way it seems to have become a banner for a very vocal group of gamers between the ages of 12-20…there is something special here that an old, veteran gamer such as myself can recognize but can’t truly be a part of…and that’s ok. There has been a public divide between Undertale fans and a backlash from those seemingly resentful of the lavish praise its fans heap up on it, and I suspect the detractors are mostly in their 20s and 30s. Give it a chance, it’s loved for a reason, and one of the best PC rpgs of 2015, regardless of your age.

The foundation has been laid for months; 2016 will be the VR battleground year. Will it become as common as tablets and smartphones? Or go the way of 3d Televisions and HD-DVD? We won’t know the answers to those questions anytime soon. However we do have some answers in place for the Oculus Rift VR headset units. It has a firm price in place, and some details on final specs and what it will release with. A lot of these details are a little perplexing and are worth a closer look.

For starters the price sails over our heads at $600 a unit. Resolution for the final retail unit is set at 2160×1200, which means you will need a PC capable of playing top games at this resolution – and 90 frames per second for optimum visual smoothness in most cases (with 60 fps on some VR dev kits specs as a sheer minimum refresh rate). According to the Oculus Rift recommended PC Specs, a PC with at least a GTX 970/R2 290 and i5-4590 or better is needed. The unit is bundled with an Xbox One controller, and two games (EVE: Valkyrie and Lucky’s Tale). VR audio is available, but you can also use your own favorite gaming headset for the full hair salon look.

$600 for the retail gaming immersion solution from Oculus. Keep in mind this does not include the Oculus Touch, the hearing aid looking handheld input devices. These controllers are meant to allow for a higher degree of movement and control befitting a completely isolated virtual world environment. These will not be available at the time Rift’s launch, and pricing on those controllers are at this time unknown.

I had to do a double take on the price. Remember three years ago when a duct taped LCD screen strapped to someone’s face was being demo’ed? It sparked the imagination. Finally gaming could be like a good version of Lawnmower Man! How long 3D optical devices have been trying to catch on for? Sadly traditional glasses have inherent issues with visual quality, performance, and a propensity for inducing headaches with prolonged wear. Early Oculus Rift units and user feedback appeared to be indicate that this solution solved those hindrances. This could be the real deal. Internet forums and social media were alight with comments and expectations for VR. Culminating with Facebook purchasing the company for a whopping two billion dollars.

Having a big bank such as Facebook behind this product could lead one to believe the Oculus Rift would have instant mass market appeal, in both ease of use, pricing, and availability. Now that the dawn of this long road to release is drawing to a close, it feels as if we’re looking at a gutted Macy’s Day parade float in January. The balloons have been popped. The glitter long washed away. All that’s left are thousands of discard Farmville VR leaflets flickering in the winds.

$600 for a unit is part of the reason to feel disheartened, but not the only one. The technology utilized to bring this experience retail is no longer revolutionary. LCD screens at this resolution are more commonplace than napkin; the same can be said for motion sensors, magnetometers, accelerometers. So what’s the major mind blowing piece at this point? The lens? Don’t think so. Will the Oculus Rift weight 0.2 milligrams? Doubtful. Can it detect hand gestures? Lift you out of your seat and send you galloping across time and space on a digital unicorn? Will it be far higher resolution and with far less visual lag than its competitors? All answers just seem to point to: No.

Not even the bundled Oculus Home software seems very appealing. Why replace Steam or GoG with yet another game display platform? I don’t know but it’s not a very enticing selling point. I already wish that PC gaming companies would unify one way or another for achievement tracking and social collaborative ease, and it’s not happening. The last thing I want is yet another high-strung groupie vying for my system tray attention.

So why is it so expensive? Is the extra $300 padding a byproduct of Facebook buying Oculus for $2 billion USD? Sorry Mark, you probably wipe your cheeks with 2-ply $100 bills. Everyone else does not. Other companies have developer their own competing solutions in mind. How quickly these other solutions are close to release despite the substantial head start Oculus has on everyone is clear indication as to how un-revolutionary the technology being used really is (see Google Cardboard). Other gaming leaders such as Sony, have comparable units close to launch, Sony has announced their Playstation VR set will cost approximately as much as its latest console the Playstation 4. This puts their solution in the $350 estimated range. Granted their solution appears to be limited to Playstation gamers only for the time being, but it does set the pricing stage towards something the more realistic.

Keep in mind that after years of testing, 2k-3k resolution LCD screens and 90 frames per second provide the “ultimate” and fluid VR experience. That’s one of the main reasons why the Oculus device was delayed from the 720 initial development units, to the 1080p, and finally the 2160×1200 displays. Current gen consoles are geared for solid 1080p play, so if I’m thinking of VR, console discussion immediately ceases. To drop any kind of VR dimes down, it would have to be played on the kind of gaming hardware that can handle it at 2k/90FPS smoothly, right?

For PC gamers, all eyes must certainly be turning towards the SteamVR (HTC Vive). Their solution was delayed due to a “major breakthrough”, whatever that breakthrough is we know that SteamVR will work with Steam Big Picture, SteamOs, and Windows 10 seamlessly. With the motion controllers available with its release, and laser emitters that track positions within the room. Many early testers had already proclaimed the Oculus Rift dethroned in early 2015. So why not wait? 2016 will be the year of VR, with multiple options, what we are not clear on is what the pricing will be on those alternate solutions. The $600 bar set by Facebook this week will be toyed with by other companies.

]]>http://gonewiththewin.com/oculus-gyp-why-early-vr-adoption-is-a-bad-idea/feed/4Anonymous’s Cyber-War With ISIS, Should it Matter to Gamers?http://gonewiththewin.com/anonymouss-cyber-war-with-isis-should-it-matter-to-gamers/
Wed, 18 Nov 2015 23:48:43 +0000http://gonewiththewin.com/?p=2873Remember, Remember the hackers of November…

War… war never changes, this iconic Fallout quote rings so true in light of the real events unfolding. Everywhere humankind goes, war goes with them. It is waged in the air, land, by sea, and now with 1’s and 0’s. The Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) has picked a fight with nearly everyone on the planet. Yemen, Kenya, and most recently Paris have felt the brutality and utter chaos this terrorist group can wage on innocent unarmed bystanders. Governments have already mobilized and are counter attacking ISIS strategic targets with missiles and coordinated air strikes, with more actions to follow. The most intriguing warrior entering the arena has to be Anonymous (@GroupAnon), who has declared a digital war on ISIS. This new type of warfare warrants a close look by gamers, as there is perhaps a bold opportunity to reshape minds of would be enemies into something else.

Seem silly in a way? On the surface, ISIS is saying that it is. According to Business Insider, the Islamic State has already issued a response to the hacker group’s formal declaration of war. In this statement, ISIS calls the group “idiots” and sarcastically asks “What are they gonna hack?” If there was nothing to hack, then the instructions to their affiliates to change their IP addresses regularly and not engage in conversations with any unknowns seems like an unnecessary defensive posture. Unlike other terrorist factions in the past, ISIS has made full use of the power of the world wide web including: social media, information distribution to their supporters, and world wide coordination. It is these avenues which will go down first, should the Anonymous group succeed in their efforts. Should they stop with mere disruption tactics?

Anonymous is a hacker group whose members are scattered around the world. They have had successes in the past taking down sites or appropriating sensitive information in response to what they perceive is a just cause. In 2013 the group successfully hacked and downloaded files from the U.S. Justice Department in response to the suicide of Aaron Swartz (Source: Gawker). Anonymous perceived that Swartz, a freedom of information advocate, was pushed into an impossible corner by the U.S. judicial wing and thus counterattacked. Following the previous violence on Charlie Hebdo journalists, the hacker group was able to take down ansar-alhaqq.net (source: The Telegraph), a site known to advocate terrorist strategies in France. Unlike the simple parade of divulging personal information as with the #GamerGate fiasco, Anonymous group has shown they can do some actual cyber-harm. Can their efforts take down ISIS? Can they prevent the next Paris attacks from occurring? No one knows for certain. Does this have any bearing for gamers? It should.

Bring it… noobs

Every single day I do battle with Christians, Jews, Islamists, Athiests, Buddhists, Gingers, Fleabags, Dorks, Geeks, Africans, Elderly, Children, Russians, Turks, French, Whites, and Scientologists. Actually I am not alone in this impartial crusade against everything. If you play online games, you do the same thing I do each and every time you lob a grenade behind a pile of digital sandbags. On the gaming landscape it’s all about fun, pretty much all the time. In the end it is proven who’s the best at whatever game. Race? Religion? Politics? Not even a part of the equation. It’s not even the point of gaming online, you go out and try to dominate everyone. Then you cry yourself to sleep when you lose, and try again the next morning. That’s it. It’s simple.

ISIS and world governments will undoubtedly take more shots at each other, in the end, does anything truly get answered or solved? War? What is it good for? That question was answered in the 60s in a freaking song. The only war worth engaging in nowadays is online, where we all laugh and call each other nubs and try again the next day. As the hacker group Anonymous prepares to infiltrate and create havoc to ISIS’s information network, they need to remember that all attacks will bring on more attacks, but tea bagging some noob in CS-Dust is a lasting memory we can all share and smile about.

I hope each page Anonymous takes down is replaced with an invitation to challenge worldwide gamers to some DOTA 2 tournament. Each stolen file is replaced with a World of Tanks game installer (or Candy Crush Saga if they get real nasty). When any terrorist tries to open their Telegraph app to make a threat they get dropped into a match of VainGlory instead. Have terrorist actions caused it to rain peace, food, wealth, and prosperity for anyone? No. And it’s not going to no matter what bomb is dropped next. Instead millions of gamers world wide may eat too many Ramen noodles, and spend too much money on games, but gamers are having FUN and not truly at odds with anyone.

Hundreds of thousands of people have left Syria escaping the atrocities affecting their homes. Right now they are trying to start a new life elsewhere, but in the future they will have access to better Internet and game machines. Thanks for the surge of potential new players ISIS. It is our sincerest hope Anonymous group is successful in thwarting the senseless carnage by making the Internet inaccessible to them. Maybe there is the hope that Anonymous plants links across terrorist sites to online games to help vent frustrations. Because war is good for nothing, but swarming your base with Zerg, two and a half minutes into the match, is something we can all laugh about for days.

]]>Why We Are Adopting Windows 10, and Why Should You?http://gonewiththewin.com/why-we-are-adopting-windows-10-and-why-should-you/
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 23:14:14 +0000http://gonewiththewin.com/?p=1433Windows 10 is here and will begin rolling out to consumers starting July 29th.

Does it really matter which version of Windows you are using to send an email, work on a spreadsheet, or look at a web page? Let’s face it, since Windows 95 these features are essentially the same and Window’s incremental improvements for $100-$210 a pop really do not matter for common PC tasks. Windows OS releases do, however, bring faster changes to what is possible in the world of PC games. I may not work on a spreadsheet everyday, but I do game every single day. Windows 10 has been catching my eye since late last year. Windows 10 is bringing with it a lot of interesting features that affect my gamer lifestyle and that is why I jumped right into the Windows 10 Insider Program. My intuition was telling me this could be the next “big” thing for games, and as time went on this is what I found.

DirectX 12 – Not Just More Fx, But Performance Enhancements

Like Windows releases, DirectX releases herald new features and visual ideas for the next generation of games. DirectX 9 has proven to have a long lasting effect on games. While DX10/11 have impressive realistic features, the efficiency of DirectX 9 has made it the predominant API in game development since its 2002 introduction. Some of the most popular multiplayer games being played today are still DX9 based, since even low-spec budget PCs handle DX9 games well.

Thanks to efficient chip designs like AMD’s APU cores, and Intel’s built-in HD graphics, almost every low to mid-range PC can make a decent gaming box. Yet DirectX 9’s longevity still lies in its efficiency, it’s CPU/GPU overhead is low enough to achieve minimum playable framerates on most computers. The range of speeds, core configurations, brands are staggering for global PC configurations, yet the majority can fire up a Source based game like Team Fortress 2 and play online with millions of other gamers, regardless of their hardware setup.

With the completion of DirectX 12, that API efficiency is returning, and without sacrificing any of the visual splendor in previous DirectX releases. API inefficiency is the number one reason AMD developed the Mantle API. Mantle only affected AMD hardware owners, but what about everyone else? That’s where DirectX 12 comes in.

This video shows a test i5 machine running the same game with identical hardware utilizing an AMD GPU on the two latest versions of Windows. The performance boost is impressive, and hard to ignore. AMD’s DX12 driver, which will work only with Windows 10, adds superior multi-threaded performance. AMD users will notice better game performance immediately. Eurogamer reported the following findings:

Curiously, the DX12 driver in Windows 10 seems to have DX11 enhancements not found in the current Windows 8.1 driver, resulting in tangible performance boosts to Project Cars when it’s run on the new OS. Hopefully this is just the beginning of AMD’s efforts to optimize DX11

That’s an immediate reason for all AMD owners to give a long hard look at Windows 10, if not jump on board outright. Does that mean Nvidia card owner don’t need to make the move WIndwos 10? There are a few reasons why all gamers should upgrade, one of the most apparent reasons is aesthetics and OS optimization. Windows 7 was a phenomenal gaming platform, Windows 8 brought with it superior memory management ability, yet it was continually ignored by gamers because of the unsightly Metro user interface and initial poor driver support. After utilizing Windows 10 extensively, I can state that this version of Windows continues the optimization and memory efficiency trend started with Windows 7/8.

With Windows 10, I am able to run any game just as easily as in Windows 8. Switching between programs continues to be a breeze. Windows 10 is now everything I loved about the minimalist design of 7, blended with the performance of 8 in one OS. However, as an avid gamer, DirectX 12 looms heavily on the horizon. It is the single most intriguing aspect of Windows 10 that I am looking forward to experiencing.

Square Enix released an impressive DirectX 12 demo this past April. Granted, Square Enix Final Fantasy games are known for vivid, highly detailed cutscenes that are not indicative of actual gameplay. This is not the case in their DX12 real time demo. If you note in the video, the presenter manipulates many in-game effects with ease and render times are smooth and impressive throughout the entire presentation. Square Enix reports that they are able to push scenes like these to around 63 million polygons. They estimate that amount to be six to twelve times more polygons than they were able to push using DX11 using the same demo engine. Additionally they are able to increase the texture maps to 8000×8000 for a far more photo-realistic look.

Square Enix shows off 63 million polygon count scenes by crying about it.

Tthis is what’s pushing me to test Windows 10 and urging other gamers to adopt immediately. There is no perceived risk. It’s free. It upgrades Windows 8 to an even smoother UI and efficient operating system. Driver support out of the box is already here. When DirectX 12 games begin to roll out, the future is looks brighter still. DX API changes have historically taken 12 months to two years to gain even a respectable foothold with PC gamers. Not this time. DX12 is poised to bring considerable performance boost by eliminating CPU bottlenecks. Anandtech’s findings show that with a four core processor setup, draw calls are increased considerably under DX12 for all cards. An increase of 10-12 million more calls per second, simply by using the DX12 API, will lead to more impressive detailed graphics in games, without additional hardware investment.

“Our goal in gaming at Microsoft is to let people play games wherever they are, gaming was once central to what we did on Windows, but we lost our way. Now we hope to have a Windows release that’s the best Windows release for gamers.”

Intel’s information mirrors that published by Anandtech. Intel has shown Broadwell based CPUs in laptops pushing call counts that would rival desktop computers with dedicated GPUs. In this demo, Intel states that under DX11, utilizing integrated Intel HD graphics, a Lenovo laptop is pushing 13,000 to 14,000 draw calls per frame, at 30 frames per second. The same laptop running DX 12 is now capable of 41,000 draw calls per frame per 30 seconds per frame. Nearly 3 times the amount of the DX11 API.

It’s hard to believe that all of this performance and ability will arrive free for Windows 10 adopters. There has to be a catch? What does Microsoft gain from all this?

Unified Gaming, Old Buzzword, or Microsoft’s future vision?

Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s Xbox division said earlier this year, ““Gaming was once central to what we did on Windows, but we lost our way. Now we hope to have a Windows release that’s the best Windows release for gamers.” Microsoft has lost ground with consumers across several markets. Tablets and mobile devices tend to favor IOS/Android operating systems. Console sales are leaning Sony’s way. So Microsoft is looking for a way to regain market foothold. In the past, consumers buying new computers that come preinstalled with a new Windows version was by far the largest and quickest way for a new Windows OS to gain popular acceptability. By offering it for free, and with features that entice gamers, Microsoft hopes to rewrite their OS adoption model.

Microsoft’s old strategy was to empower their console and mobile OS with exclusive content available only on that device. After poor response from gamers, Microsoft has changed their tune. Their new song is “Our goal in gaming at Microsoft is to let people play games wherever they are” ad this new song is being sung without the cha-ching sound of doubloons flowing out of people’s bank accounts. Microsoft is also releasing a new version of Minecraft for free existing Minecraft account holders. As a leading example for with their new gaming centralized mantra, Pocket Edition Minecraft players will be able to join and play with Windows 10 PC gamers with tablets or smartphones.

Microsoft is also bringing Xbox Live closer to PC gamers as a community platform to compare achievements, games, game recordings, and seamlessly share this information with any Windows 10 capable device. This idea could easily bolster PC game sales and PC related sales in general if Microsoft keeps pushing for consolidated social interactivity across devices. Keep in mind that DX12 games, and games that take full advantage of Windows 10 unified social features are not that far off. Motiga’s upcoming MOBA Gigantic, is slated as a Windows 10 only game, utilizing one account method regardless if you are playing on Xbox One or a Windows 10 PC. Developers for the MOBA are giving a hopeful August deadline for switching over to closed Beta status, well after Windows 10 releases to consumers.

Game eras have been cyclical, and PC games are poised to enter yet another “golden age of gaming,” where PC gamers have access to the best of all gaming genres, and the connection between all other platforms in one solid gaming station. Microsoft may have alienated some in the past with their business decisions, but this is a solid on that is extremely easy for gamers to get behind. We will of course, be on the forefront of any news involving DX12 games, and Windows 10 game coverage as we head into this amazing new release.

]]>State of the Game: Evolution or De-Evolution of Games Part IIhttp://gonewiththewin.com/state-of-the-game-evolution-or-de-evolution-of-games-part2/
Fri, 10 Jul 2015 08:09:39 +0000http://gonewiththewin.com/?p=872As we left off previously, Kickstarter has opened a new avenue previously unattainable by your average gamer. Obsidian Entertainment, announced in 2012 that it wanted to do a Baldur’s Gate/Icewind Dale type of spiritual successor. Did big publishing houses want this? No, gamers did, 700,000 of them fervently did. These fans raised millions and Obsidian releaseds Pillars of Eternity, much to the delight of the those 700,000+ gamers who were asking for it, and more. It’s an old school game on the surface with all several advances in graphics comparable to the advances you’d expect in a 2015 game. Result? A highly rated, critically acclaimed game that many gamers have enjoyed (and are expecting a big expansion pack releasing in the coming months). Why did it take so long to come around full circle?
The following 80 hours of awesome was brought to you by 700,000 gamers, because we know…

Larian Studios announced back in 2012 it too wanted to do a throwback style isometric RPG, it begins a Kickstarter campaign that raises a million dollars, result? 500,000 copies sold in two months, their highest selling PC game. So much popularity and enhanced edition with a fleshed out story and other elements they wanted to add but their Publisher held them back is coming. FREE to those who already bought the game, and expanded for release PS4/Xbox One gamers. Divinity Original Sin comes onto the scene with superb captivating graphics, an ingenious turn based combat system, impressive effects and more – but it’s still your traditional mid 90s isometric role playing game. Is the genre dead? Not at all. Just ignored.

56. That’s the number of underpants I soiled due to getting surprise choked by some crafty spy playing mind games with us.

Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow introduced something absolutely genius, asymmetrical multiplayer Spy versus Merc mode to the stealth action game genre. Now many gamers are familiar with this mode, but Ubisoft has always failed to recapture the magic of the first version of this (while they attempted to return to basics with Blacklist and did a good job it was still missing various key elements). SvM mode was something so thrilling we would stay up until 2-3am playing at times, wake up the next day with a Spinter Cell map editor up, drawing lines on the levels (must have gotten this idea from the old Rainbow Six games) for our strategies the next time we played. See once a game has you discussing possibilities and strategies with friends even when you are not playing, said game has transcended from mere game to “an experience” in my book, one that produces hundreds of fond memories I can recall at any given moment. Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow’s original SvM mode provided communication between the two mercs, and the two spies, with each other respectively, but not cross communication with the enemies EXCEPT with gadgets. Gadgets that provided false audio clues for the mercenaries having them chase noise ghosts all match. You could use something called a “spy bullet” that if you shot a merc you would be able to hear his communication until he died. Again seemingly small, but so many matches were won by hysterically outwitting enemy mercenaries and baiting the conversation they were already having “I think they’re in the warehouse!” … Well okay, let me make some noise near the warehouse, while my partner takes out our objective. Mercs also had numerous traps that would just leave you feeling absurdly stupid for falling into them, making merc trap placement and map knowledge a MUST but provided a satisfying experience when YOUR plan worked. It’s about the experience.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Grenade. Get a shotgun. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. During a time where every single shooter was the same thing, run up, shoot guys in the face, run more, Valve incorporated a Quake mod into its multiplayer fold, that game was called Team Fortress Classic. TFC started a revolution in thinking that fed TFCs popularity for over 15 years. It was more than just a shooter, even though all you really do is shoot and run and shoot more, sort of. This was game that for the first time introduced class based team warfare with an emphasis on more than just twitch reflexes. Who doesn’t remember spending 200 hours on 2_Fort capturing flags and trying to foil enemies from taking yours? Breaking your friends/teammates into the right balance of classes. The right number of engineers, pyros, and heavies to defend, and spies, snipers, scouts, and soldiers for the offensive? What about those great maps like The_Rock where you could release a gas that kills all the enemies as its main objective? Breaking into defenders with turret laying engineers, det. pack and explosive expert demomen holding down the map while soldiers, scouts, and heavies tried to vie control of the main yard. These maps had some real style and design. I remember getting online with a pack of friends laying out strategies for our “prison attack” like something out of the Dirty Dozen. The satisfying laughter and “Oh hell yeah” when we won. Luckily Valve kept TFC going with TF2, but there is still some serious elements missing in TF2 but not much, TF2 is still a great experience, and it is still going strong as the baseline team multiplayer game PC gamers go to. It’s not Call of Duty. It’s TF2.

While TF2 has great art design and balance compared to TFC, it would be interesting to see if Valve can deepen classes, gameplay, and map designs, someday

Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas are also highly popular, since their inception with DOTA, they have gained quite a following. They feature the same concepts TFC players are familiar with, you need the right balance of classes and actions to make your team shine. You need to manage “something” on your online match either by yourself, or with teammates.

Alongside with managing global lanes, there are side objectives that if gained help your teams’ cause. Additionally every kill or death improves your team’s monetary powers or weakens it. Those that do not subscribe to the team-first mentality become known as feeders, and are laughed out of the game much to the dismay of many a gamer parent who had such high hopes for little Timmy and a successful e-Sports champion ship career.

Gone is the classic top down static click-only gameplay in traditional MOBAs, in HiRez’s Smite game strategy is blended with third person action, and heavy emphasis on team coordination for a new feel

However, since DOTA, there have been few changes to the same tried and true formula of minions in a lane and pushing towers. MOBAs are already falling into the same tried and proven rut. There are a few exceptions however like HiRez’s Smite that combines the perspective of third person action games that narrows your view of the field, emphasis skill shots, and throws in non-MOBA traditional modes to keep things interesting. Other future MOBAs like the upcoming Gigantic threaten to push the genre into new avenues. However, because of the popularity of League of Legends and DOTA2 and they pull they currently have amongst gamers, it is safe to worry and wonder if MOBAs will stay status quo for too long, or if they will dare to expand and innovate to keep gamers enticed and engaged.

Pixel Piracy may look like a classic NES Game, but it’s a recent release indie throwback game, also a Steam best seller

In the last few years, so many PC games have been released based on “pixel graphics” a throwback to old era gaming, it has become a noticeable resurgence. It’s even a tag on the Steam store with hundreds of games in this style. Why? Mixed with some of these pixelated games, comes mixed in some of the witty writing, humorous moments, or intricate story lines of old. These indie game companies remember something, something that’s been missing in the big name game titles like Watch Dogs, Call of Duty Advanced Something Or Other, and Madden 20Samething. Gamers are screaming to companies “I don’t need fancy graphics, I need a great experience” over and over again. It’s dripping from the virtual online store shelves and oozing in your face and everyone acknowledges it, but where is it?

Where does that leave the state of our games in the present? Unknown. I see on the horizon games like Metal Gear poised to combine sandbox and stealth into a living world something my colleagues and I at GWTW discussed years ago at the release of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, as perhaps a deep engaging experience. I wondered if Ubisoft’s The Division would transcend into the realm of life sucking mind altering experience, but multiple delays, and a track record of steadily ruining their credibility and exchanging depth for explosions, strategy for faster button mashing, has me concerned. Case and point: The lifeless Watch Dogs, and the current way they are urinating on the rotten corpse that is Assassin’s Creed, and you can’t even keep Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher oh come on! Ubisoft is currently pioneering the dumbed down games market which is alarming since they were once one of the most innovative companies until well, things got dumb.

We have seen all kinds of stealth games, and all kinds of sandbox third person shooters. But FoxEngine, and Hideo Kojima are poised to shake the poop out of your socks with Metal Gear Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes by combining both genres into one, with intelligent submissions, and rewarding exploration, and a myriad of approach options

I watch as Neocore Games releases little gems that combined their tried and true isometric view hack and slash action games with tower defense in Deathtrap, and smile. I see games like Divinity and Pillars taking off and hoping beloved series like Skyrim and Fallout perhaps opting for a deeper much more intricate experience than a focus on free-roaming game, but that’s a hope, nothing concrete has formed, but the proof is THERE, gamers haven’t changed. Publishers have. Developers have. They have become convinced that gamers want only a quick fix, splashy graphics, booming soundtrack game in their face for $60 a pop (I’m looking at you console gamers).

This is the best little game no one’s playing right now. Deathtrap. Get it. Nao.

Yes quick fix games are fun, and needed, yes graphics are awesome to look at, but companies are so wrong with their approach to what gamers REALLY want. What are you focusing your development time on? Making smoke, smokier (thanks Batman)? Making shadows, shadowier? Depth. Gameplay. Strategy. Intelligent Design. Clever AI. Multiplayer complexity. These are things that lift a game from something you mash and never think of to something you talk about over and over again with fellow game loving friends. Those are the titles you blog about endlessly.

Those are the stories that live in your mind. This current game resurgence, has given me hope that someone with bigger resources can craft the game we’ve all been dreaming off together. That drop games on our heads like Valve dropped Half Life 2 on the world, a game people STILL play, and its numerous Source Engine spinoffs are feverishly played by HUNDREDS of thousands of people still (TF2, Portal, Garry’s Mod, and Counter Strike I’m looking at you). That companies like Ubisoft and EA stop stripping games down to “cool moments monsieur” and focus on a complete “great experience” in their titles. Meanwhile pioneer companies like Valve and CD Projekt Red build on their game sale success with game distribution platforms, have not only lifted PC sales from the gutter but also ensured a link to the past, by maintaining and keeping ancient but legendary games from defunct publishers playable into the present, while advancing the spotlight to indie games, alternate games, movies about games, better PC hardware, and more. Companies like these know their roots and have managed to tie together the past, with the present, while heralding the future to showcase the largest game library of any platform on Earth (what’s backwards compatibility mean to a PC gamer anyway?). While this might not be “new”, or pushing the genre to new heights, there’s no denying that their approach to the game world has kept ALL games interesting, relevant, and almost like a constant never ending treasure hunt for gems of any nature, and in this game sphere smaller developers and indie game houses have room to be ingenious, and develop the kinds of games the could redefine genres and innovate repetitive game design tactics for another ten years.

GOG Galaxy and Steam continue to push PC game sales into the stratosphere, while maintaining a constant link to the legendary games of old

This is where we are today. The hardware in most PCs these days is not being taxed. PC gaming is poised to enter another “golden age” of fandom and revolutionary experiences thanks to wide adoption, and high scalability of present games. So what will game developers do next? What are they going to push for in their next game? I don’t mean in games making a gun looking gunlier, I am talking about designing worlds that destroy the nostalgic days of gaming. Eliminate the tried and overdone, and experiment with cross genre mechanics, game scales that never existed before, AI that truly feels like AI and not robotic McDonald’s burger flipping drones, I am talkign about creating experiences that define this generation of gaming like the ones that shaped mine.

]]>State of the Game: Evolution or De-Evolution of Games? Part Ihttp://gonewiththewin.com/state-of-the-game-evolution-or-de-evolution-of-games/
http://gonewiththewin.com/state-of-the-game-evolution-or-de-evolution-of-games/#commentsTue, 07 Jul 2015 11:05:22 +0000http://gonewiththewin.com/?p=856I unfold a large rectangular shaped glossy paper several times until it covers a quarter of my bed space. I sit back with a flashlight, and some sticky notes, I review the areas I’ve already covered in the galactic map spread out before the bed. By my estimation, roughly half the map has been explored, my brow wrinkles up in concentration, I’ve made about 4 new allies, and amassed a decent number of resources on my last adventure, humanity is starting to look like they .. just .. might have a chance (/Shatner voice).
That map, this damn map all I did was examine every square inch of this map for months

After careful planning and examination I realize that I have enough fuel and technology to visit the stars that form Orion’s belt and head back to Earth I have decided to pit stop at numerous planetary groupings along the way. The year is 1992, the game is Star Control II, and the absorbed teenager, and yeah that’s me. I would spend hours upon hours in my room, in front of my PC, visiting countless stars and planets amassing allies and resources to destroy the evil Ur-Quan for their enslavement of humanity behind a red planetary shield, using my kick ass and decked out Precursor vessel. This is a game that had tremendous amount of buildup, yes some would say What I didn’t know then, was that there would never be a space exploration and galactic conquest game as good as Star Control II ever again.

“Go over bridge. [enter] Pick nose. [enter]”

King’s Quest, Police Quest, Space Quest, you know, years ago in prehistoric computer times ago, back when computer game players were also self-made computer technicians, games had a different feel to them. Take these Sierra games as another example, they had a lot in common, they required reading but reading came at the reward of you chuckling every few minutes at some very witty writing. You had to use your head to type out sentences for your main character to do. You actually had to type out “go to window” to make your guy go to the window. Sky was the limit as far as the requests that could be made, and I always got a kick out of discovering that the game’s creator had thought of roughly the same weird action I was coming up with, and jokingly had some choice consequences or responses for those goofy actions.

Back in the ancient computer era, simulators simulated stuff. They used words like “simulator” in their game titles, amazing. More than just throttle and pew pew.

Do you remember the first Creative Labs sound cards? I do. I had to install my first one, and then mess with its DOS settings to play X-Wing Simulator. X-Wing Simulator wasn’t just ANY Star Wars game, I mean for 10 years there was a rail shooter style polygon outline arcade game that let you pilot an X-wing into the Death Star trench blow it up woohoo and do it again but THIS, no THIS was different. This was better. This game was in MY room, not some noisy and dark Pizza Hut lobby, and better yet, it was what flying an X-Wing was SUPPOSED to feel like. It was more than just move a joystick and pew pew, the end. You had to balance weapons, shielding, engines, you needed to dogfight, and count your torpedoes, making every shot count because what was unlimited ammo? That wasn’t invented yet. This was a great game, and in the title it explained to us why it was so good. It was a Star Wars simulator.

There are terrorists holed up in a house, they have hostages, innocent people who will be killed if my team doesn’t pull off this infiltration and extraction just right. My government agency has acquired the blueprints to this location, how they got their hands on these plans, who cares, because I am drawing exact lines all over the place, these cool little lines are signaling where and how my Rainbow seal team will enter the home, take down the tangos, and secure the hostages. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong with my plans, but in case it does, I have carefully planned out my load out of flash-bangs, silenced weapons and such that even if I have to improvise, we will not be seen. Time is of the essence soldier, and you could cut the tension with a knife, or a tactical blue route line.

The most tactical thing about modern Rainbow Six Vegas games? Probably that slot machine over there

What I am talking about are my memories of some the greatest games of all time, that have no actual sequels or true successors. I am talking about actual game experiences that transended mere beeps and boops. Yeah I love “fun” games, the Marios, the Maddens, the Call of Duty type games, sure those are fun, sometimes you just want to blow stuff up. However, as I recently covered in my in depth Pillars of Eternity review, detailed, highly involved, high payout and rewarding game experiences are a bit of rarity in this era of gaming. Did something change in what makes a game “fun”? Have games advanced to become more involved, more intricate, deeper, and even more meaningful? Do we simply view “old school games” as good because for their era, there was nothing better to weigh them against?

First and foremost, its 2015, and my smartphone is roughly 500 times the gaming device my first computer was. The canvas for which a gaming artist can create on is infinitely superior. Many aspects of what it takes to develop a single game has decreased significantly. So you would assume that the games made across time are deeper more intricate than ever before, but that has not always been the case for the most part triple A gaming has been on the sharp decline ever since. Take the Rainbow Six series for instance, the careful planning stages and the intricate planning moments are gone. Instead the series has moved for a more arcade approach, constant scripted sequences that pushes players to the next big spectacular explosion. Not the next greatest self-defined experience that stays with you much longer.

Build your own robot, and with a friend, blow things up, this guy wanted to play and Xwing mech.Doesn’t get any better than this folks.

Games have pushed for better graphics, better physics, better multiplayer maps, but little depth for the most part. However, not all games in the last 15 years are bad, not at all, there have been some exceptional gems but even those have been choked down over time. Take for example Chromehounds, a 2006 Xbox 360 title, little was known of Chromehounds as it was approaching release, and it released with little fanfare. Several gamers however took note of certain key elements announced beforehand and followed intently its release. Those key elements proved to be extraordinary when put into play.

Chromehounds is a mech game (I mean what happened to real mech games? Did they die? Because there are some robot games out there but they are Call of Duty games with robot skins… looking at you Titanfall and Hawken), one with a unique take. You start off by building your own robot death machine. Six possible movement designs to choose from like tank treads, heavy legs, six wheelers for some speed, these movement choices already begins to define your mech choice, where you making a sniper, a scout with base crushing abilities, a heavy tank, a stalwart defender etc. The build choices could be interchanged anyway you wished, you could have a defender style robot with massive artillery, or one artillery on a crazy speedy scout allowing you to lob one shell anywhere on the map as the recoil sent you 90 miles backwards. Point is you were free to try thousands, and thousands of combinations.

Still this was only the start of a great gaming experience, once you and your friends had giant robots of doom ready, you jumped into an online war. You were one of three factions, and each battle mattered in the conquest of sections of the map. The online war was persistent, and each battle mattered in the overall war. Once on the battlefield however, true strategy unfolded alongside the heavy mech action through the use of one device. The developers called them COMBAS towers, these towers allowed your voice communication to work. Without them, literally your headsets were useless, seems like a small element at first, but no communication REALLY mattered when you wanted to actually WIN. Controlling a tower meant being able to tell all those within range of a tower where the enemy was, what it is you wanted to do next. Without it you were like talking to yourself and just hoping that your team knew what you wanted to do. I remember sitting back as a defending player, in my tank treads and heavy armor as two enemies in fast scouts were trying to sneak into our base. They had taken COMBAS towers, and were clearing planning a two pronged attack with their teammates. The main enemy group was pushing into the middle of the map to control the biggest COMBAS tower, while the small two man scout group was poised to take our base. They sat in waiting for their moment to strike. I told my partner of their plan, and said let them push in and take the main COMBAS, we will feign a move to retake the middle tower they were pushing in – but really veer to the right and take the COMBAS tower they scouts were using. Result?

Hawken is a modern mech game but stripped of any tactical planning, or complex team work, seen here is a mech strafing. Yes, strafing…

It was pretty glorious being some mini-Napoleon on the battlefield, we took the tower quickly, enemy team was pushing in on the middle tower, and was unaware they lost communication with their scout team. The scouts realized too late something was up they were almost on our base when they turned around and we were bearing down on top of them reigning fire shells at their location. Two scouts dead and buried. By the time the middle COMBAS tower was lost our team had regrouped near the eastern COMBAS tower, two smoking husks of dead enemy mechs behind us. That one element, changes the game, to something deeper, something more involved. What happened to Chromehounds? Shutdown in 2009, and there was no sequel, why? Because I was left yearning for a multiplayer mechanized game as deep as Chromehounds for the last six years.

Further, the Mechwarrior license has a rather large following, and after handful of excellent Mechwarrior games in the 90s what has big dog Microsoft Studios done with the Mechwarrior license? Well, nothing. If Chromehounds was amazing for its time as a console game where would it be today as a PC game? From Software accomplished a great deal as a small studio in Japan, with the limitations of a ten year old console. Where could a big studio push this genre if it wanted to on the PC platform with its capacity for larger multiplayer mayhem? Who’s stopping them? Gamers? I highly doubt it. What gamers want and what publishers think gamers want are often polar opposite, and Kickstarter games prove this. And in Part II of this feature I will delve into what Kickstarter and gamers are showing they want, need, and prefer to play.